Siege on Draenor
by Khaphonan
Summary: When the portals to Draenor mysteriously get shut down, it's up to a former adventurer and her team to find out what's going on, reestablish the portals, and bring down whoever did it in the first place. A small AU parallel to the Tomb of Sargaras patch.
1. Chapter 1

Izarian took a heavy was sitting on the stairs by Curiosities & Moore looking at all the adventurers passing by, hoping for the chance to prove themselves on the Broken Isles. Just looking at them made her exhausted. She had been like them once, but eventually, it wore her down just like it would them. Or maybe not, who knew. Emeilla didn't seem to tire out, and now look at her, Huntmaster of Trushot Lodge. But all Izarian wanted now was to walk around, take in the sights, and work her trade. She felt for the satchel of jewelery on her side. It wasn't very big, but it held some different colored pieces for sale. A necklace or two here, some rings there, even a nicely cut gem from a Dawnlight that she expected to fetch a pretty copper.

The Draenei pulled her slender tail into her lap. She was hoping they would all sell pretty good, at the very least. She hadn't been to the Broken Isles in weeks. Her gold was running low, and she wasn't sure how much longer she could keep going the way she had. _At this rate, I'll have to sell off some of my furniture, or even some of my prized armaments._ She shuddered at that thought. She didn't want it to come to that. Many of those held dear memories of hers, memories that meant little to anyone else save those with her at the time. She let go of her tail and reached a hand up to her spear, drawing it out of its harness and holding it out in front of her a moment. She didn't remember where exactly she found it. She remembered that she was in Ulduar at the time, but she didn't remember exactly where in the sprawling compound she picked it up. Its dull bronze head thrummed with the power of the Titans, a yellow glow emanating from the center of the spearhead. She took a moment longer before replacing it within the harness strapped to her back.

Izarian glanced into the shop and checked the time. It was getting late and she needed to sell these items before the day ended if she wanted to make it throughout the week. Slowly stretching her legs, she pushed herself off the ledge she was sitting on. She hit the ground with a light clatter of hooves on cobblestone and straightened up. She took another moment to stretch again and walked down towards Greyfang Enclave. Out of all the places to peddle her wares, she found that Stormwind was the easiest and most lucrative of the major cities. Adventurers new and old went through the city every day, as well as being the Alliance capital, made sure there were peddlers on every street. It was for this reason that Izarian bought a house in the city. It wasn't impressive, of course, but it was better than having an alcove aboard the Exodar, especially now that it was being repaired. Izarian finally reached the interior of the Enclave and felt herself instinctively walk towards the stairs leading up. She had to stop herself from climbing the stairs to the portal that sat atop the small flight of stairs. The portal to Light's Hope Chapel glowed with holy light. Izarian had to take a step back and shake her head. She hadn't been to Light's Hope in a longer time than she had been avoiding the Broken Isles. Too many people there were trying to kiss up to Highlord Snowdon for her liking. Not to mention all those stuck up recruits who worshipped the ground she walked on. Just thinking of it made Izarian's head hurt. She obviously felt the connection to the Light, but those in the SIlver Hand were just a little too much even for a Draenei like her.

Izarian reflected to herself a bit, losing herself in her own head. She hadn't felt a strong connection to the Light in quite some time. Of course, she still believed in Its guidance just like any other of her race and others, but in recent years the connection was beginning to lessen. She was still able to use the Light's judgement and Its justice still coursed through her like a weapon smiting a foe, but the connection she once felt to It most definitely was waning. Thinking back, she tried again to think on when this started to dissipate, but she couldn't quite put a finger on the exact time. Her excursions in her own past on Draenor was definitely a catalyst, though. Izarian shook her head and broke out of her repreve. There was no sense in thinking on it now when she would just be kept up by it later when she went to sleep. With a snap, Izarian turned around and walked directly to the portal to Stormwind and entered.

Izarian never liked the experience of using portals, but they were by far the best mode of travel if one could find a mage willing enough to make them. Within seconds of entering the portal in Dalaran, she was standing inside a mage tower in the Mage Quarter of Stormwind. She quickly left the tower, the sounds of her hooves echoing off of the stone interior of the tower. It wouldn't bother her, except for the fact that it was nearly empty in the tower. _Strange…_ Izarian thought to herself as she breached the final door to the tower and took in a long breath of fresh air. Exhaling slowly, she looked over the town. The Mage Quarter was eerily devoid of chatter, though usually you could hear a group of mages chatting loudly with each other almost insistently. Izarian shrugged and started off to her small home in Old Town. She exited the Mage Quarter and crossed the bridge to the Trade District when she heard a crowd of voices yelling nervously. Intrigued but also a little scared, Izarian walked into the Trade DIstrict. When she finally found the crowd, she was astonished to find that it was much larger than she gave it credit for, and all of them were trying to read the call board. There was no way she could ever get close, so she started asking her fellow citizens trying to get a closer look.

"What is all the commotion about?" she asked a young Human girl, no more than twenty years of age.

"I don't quite know myself," The girl replied, "But i hear it's something to do with the garrisons on Draenor. Something about The portals being closed suddenly." Izarian froze up a moment. _Closed? But doesn't that mean…."_ She felt her heart drop out of her chest. She couldn't get back. She couldn't see the resplendent hills of Draenor anymore. She thanked the girl and walked home in a daze.

She had once thought about staying. Why hadn't she stayed when she had the chance? Brooding on the thoughts of never returning to those verdant fields, Izarian found herself walking through her front door. How fast had she been walking to make it here so quickly? She didn't know, nor did she really care. As she entered the house proper, she lit the lantern by the door and loosened the straps on her gauntlets, flinging them down on the floor. If there was one thing she never did like was wearing such heavy plate armor. While it undoubtedly strengthened her back and shoulders, it was hard to move in easily and quickly. There was no use for it now, however, since it was all the armor she owned was plate armor. She shed her breastplate,weapon included, and hung it on a makeshift armor stand. She did the same with her grieves and legguards and soon slumped into a small wooden chair so as to better examine the works she made at Cartier and Company Fine Jewelry. Opening the satchel, she gradually pulled out each piece and examined them, turning them over in her hands repeatedly. They were very good, if she was being a little indulgent for a bit. The gem cuts were angled and sharp, but also smooth enough to let the eye trace them. Tucking them back into the satchel and throwing on some more comfortable clothes, she walked over to her bed and sat on it. _A small nap wouldn't hurt, i think._ She Thought about laying down right then and there, but before she could, there was a banging on the door. Curious, she ambled wearily to the door and opened it.

"Starcaller Izarian, I have a message from his majesty King Anduin Wrynn." A gruff human snapped to attention and saluted Izarian. "He requests your presence in the throne room of Stormwind Keep immediately." The man handed over a letter with the Wrynn house seal attached to it.

"Thanks you, Sir." Izarian replied softly, returning his salute with one of her own, albeit less enthusiastically. "I will be there as soon as I am capable." She took the letter, not intending to read it, and started to shut the door. "And one last thing, sir. I am no longer called the Starcaller."


	2. Chapter 2

Izarian slumped against the door. _King Wrynn? What reason would the King want with me that he'd go so far as summon me?_ Izarian couldn't think of a single thing, so she turned to the letter in her hand. She broke the seal and unfurled the parchment. Giving it a quick glance, she didn't see anything telling her what exactly the summons were for. It was just a formality in writing, much to her chagrin. Izarian tossed the letter on the table as she walked into the main room with a groan. This would make it impossible for her to get anything sold today. But, a royal summons is not something she was willing to ignore, for better or worse. She strode across the main room into the bedroom, which was much less of a bedroom and more of an armory. Three more sets of armor hung from the makeshift stands along the far wall while several large weapons hung above them. Izarian walked into the room slowly, resorbing the feeling of each and every suit and weapon. It had been some time since she wore any of these as she typically opted for the suit she just had on. She rubbed her hand along the top of her head just behind her horns. _That suit won't work. Not for meeting the King. But which one….?_ After a few minutes of deliberation between armors and even longer on weapons, Izarian had made her choice. She started strapping the breastplate on, which was a silver steel padded by several layers of red dyed leather, and picked a matching set of legguards. It was probably her best looking armor, as it had seen little use in the field, but it felt slightly disorienting as there was more armor on the legs than she was used to. For a weapon she decided that one of her more worn weapons were required to offset the lack of battle-wear on the armor. To this end, she decided to take a large single-edged sword. It's edge had been lined with obsidium when she found it, though it was wearing down until it was almost ground to the steel.

Declaring herself presentable enough to appear in front of the King, Izarian snuffed out the lanterns in the house and walked outside. With a glance down the canals, she made her way towards Stormwind Keep. It hadn't been long since the courier had come, only an hour or so, but despite that she felt the weight of the situation. She had never been asked for directly, only seeing the Hero's Call board when she was more adventurous. She had heard from Emilia how intense it was for her when she was summoned by King Varian when Pandaria was rediscovered. This made Izarian a little worried about meeting King Anduin. She heard the stories of how much calmer he was compared to his father, but that only set her on edge more. She was used to dealing with pressure and aggression when she knew it was coming. But from what she heard, that wouldn't be what she was heading into. There was no turning back, however, and since it was a royal summons, she doubt she would be allowed to ignore it from the start. Izarian exhaled the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding in. _Everything will be fine. You've handled worse than this in Ulduar._ She had, but that was such a long time ago and she had learned a lot more since then.

Two Stormwind guards were standing to either side of the drawbridge when she approached. One of them gave her a curt nod that she quickly returned as she walked by. It was time for her to steel herself for this. After a deep breath, Izarian stepped towards the keep. _There aren't very many people here_ , Izarian noted to herself. A Paladin here or there, a couple warriors talking off by the steps, and just a few people milling around the grand fountain. She didn't want to attract attention to herself, though, and she swiftly but deliberately walked to the stairs and ascended. Her hooves clattered softly with every step she took, and eventually she was up. Without realizing it, she was already standing in front of the entrance to the keep proper. A blue carpet framed by gold along the sides welcomed her inside. There were more guards here, scanning for intruders and unwelcome guests, but paid Izarian no mind. She mentally braced herself and entered the keep, trying to prepare what she would say in her head. _May the Light be merciful to me this day._ Izarian prayed to herself, despite knowing that she would not need mercy for just a meeting. Sooner than she liked, she had entered the throne room. The room was open and circular with paths leading to both her left and right. Guards were stationed around the entire circle, roughly four on each side. Izarian made a note to herself out of habit. Breathing deeply to calm herself, she entered the throne room and walked towards the King, who was standing in front of the throne. The eyes of the guards bore into her as she walked, which felt like an eternity. Finally, she found herself in front of the King and knelt down.

"King Anduin Wrynn, it is an honor to be called upon by you." Izarian said shakily. She was nervous, and despite her best efforts she couldn't keep it from her voice. The large sword on her back weighed her down more than she thought, and made it difficult to straighten herself.

King Anduin smiled softly at her, despite her nerves, and replied. "You flatter me, Starcaller. However, there is no need for you to be afraid. We have matters that need to be discussed and I need you to be prepared."

Izarian noticed her nervousness fade as if the King had cast a spell on her. "With all due respect, your Highness, nobody calls me the Starcaller anymore, myself included. I may once have been some small hero back in Northrend, but the deeds of then are shadowed by what lies before us now." She had never wanted the moniker in the first place, but her group at the time wouldn't let it die. Regardless, that was another time and it was no help to Izarian. "My king, I'm sorry for being so callous, but I would like to ask you as to why you had sent for me."

Anduin's face grew serious and his voice reflected the change. "Of course. If you would please, I would like you to follow me." He motioned to a room off to the right and started to move in that direction. Izarian stood to follow him and almost fell due to the change in weight along her back and legs. Cursing, she righted herself and followed the King into the room. When she entered, she found that the room was the war room. A large table was on display in the middle of the room which showed the map of Azeroth as they knew it, newly updated with the locations of the Broken Isles. Around the table were several faces she didn't recognise. They looked as if they were waiting for some time, and they all perked up as the King and Izarian walked into the room. She counted six of them, one each of the other Alliance races. Anduin took his place at the head of the table, motioning for Izarian to stand across from him.

"Everyone, this is Izarian Starcaller, hero of Ulduar, as i'm sure some of you already know." He nodded to the Draenei from across the table. "Izarian, I'd like to introduce you to the others here. This here," Anduin pointed to the Night Elf gentleman standing to her right, "Is Nordaerin Silverbeam, a Mage of the Arcane school." Nordaerin gave Izarian a slight bow before Anduin moved on. "These two here and Kymba Quickwidget and Noreen Trueflint, a scout and marksman respectively." Izarian nodded to the pair. The first was a Gnome woman, though interestingly enough she wore a mask depicting a skull. The Dwarf woman, however, wore a skinned wolf pelt atop her head and shoulders. Without pause, Anduin continued. "These are Songla, Daven Kessler, and Ashlan Swordbreaker. They are a Priest, Druid, and Warrior respectively." Izarian waved to each in turn. Each returned the acknowledgement with various enthusiasm.

"Now with the introductions out of the way, let us get to the business at hand. As I'm sure you've all heard, the previous portals to Draenor set up by my father's men and the Commander have closed. We know only the barest information, but what we've heard from our ambassadors to the native nations have been grim." Anduin said somberly, almost as if he were dreading what he was about to say. "What we do know is that the Commander's forces on Draenor were the ones to shut down the portals. More importantly, it seems the Commander refuses to listen to me or my advisors, and as such they are holding Draenor hostage. Whether they plan on claiming it for the Alliance is unknown." Anduin paused to take a quick breath, almost as if he'd not decided what to say. "Regardless, relations with the Horde have made it official that Draenor is a no-combat zone between us. The commander has broken that agreement and now acts independently from our forces." Anduin's eyes locked with Izarian's, who was trying to hold back her fears. "Our last reports say that they are also attacking the native settlements. We've received no word from either Karabor or Shattrath, and scouts confirm that the orcs are similarly embattled."

Izarian froze up. They were attacking Shattrath? What reason would they have to do that? Izarian prayed to the Light that her family was alright. She didn't want to go through the horrors of losing them again, so soon after finding them.

"Why are we here, my King?" Izarian asked timidly.

"Izarian, you are to lead a strike team to Draenor and either bring the Commander in to face their crimes. Find out their motives if possible, but the first and foremost objective is capture. And if you cannot capture the Commander alive…." Anduin left the statement hang in the air for a moment. "The Light help us all if we cannot get to the bottom of this."

Izarian took a moment to bring the information together in her head. "Your Highness, you want me to lead? I cannot help but question why, out of all the more capable people in your army's ranks, you would choose me." She couldn't understand the reasoning the King used. She hadn't been anyone to the world since the Cataclysm, perhaps even since Ulduar. She almost lost the King's words as she was being absorbed by her thoughts and questions.

"You're right, you were not my first choice. Originally I had requested the leaders of the Order Halls to help. However, with how occupied with the front on the Broken Shore, they could not spare anyone." Anduin paused, perhaps for dramatic effect, but Izarian thought it was something else. "However, a few acquaintances of yours put your name forth. I believe Huntmaster Emeilla was the first to request your aid, followed shortly by Deathlord Gulmur Snowfist and Cardinal Hannah Balthier. They recounted your fabled story of how you singlehandedly brought down Algalon the Observer in Ulduar. After such a recommendation, I could hardly refuse to at least inquire you about your help." Anduin smiled sorrowfully at Izarian again. "I know you have been away from the front for some time. However, having the Starcaller herself would cause a bit of a morale boost."

Izarian could hardly believe her ears. _Em put me into all of this?! And not only her, but Gulmar and Balthier too? Just wait until I get my hands on them. Especially Em!_ Izarian couldn't believe their lie. She may have been the only one left conscious at the time of Algalon's defeat, but she hardly took him down singlehandedly. Emeilla had a hand in weakening the titan construct, and were it not for Hannah she would have been dead before the encounter even began. Unfortunately, she couldn't stay mad at them for long. It had been so long since she saw any of them. Well, maybe not Emeilla, but the time they spent or Draenor was rather brief. Regardless, if they had that much faith in her, she couldn't easily turn it down.

"Alright, your Highness. I agree to do this. I cannot let my world burn for a second time. If I could only have a few hours to prepare myself, I would be grateful." Izarian bowed her head low to Anduin. The King nodded with approval and spoke, relief flooding his voice.

"Of course. Just remember that time is of the essence. I will send your team ahead, should they be willing. Gear yourself for a long, difficult campaign." With that, Anduin dismissed them and returned to the throne room. Quickly, the rest of the group scattered, leaving Izarian alone with her thoughts. Not sure where to begin piecing all of the information together, she subconsciously walked home.


	3. Chapter 3

The day had not gone as Izarian had ever thought it would go. Not only did King Anduin request her to lead a full blown operation, but he had placed his trust in her ability to lead. She hadn't held such a position since she was back in Northrend. On top of that, the others there either knew or just learned that she was the so-called 'Starcaller', making it even more stressful due to their expectations. It's almost too much to bear. But I can't turn back now, I already gave my word. Izarian shook her head to rid herself of thoughts. She had to concentrate on getting ready for the upcoming journey. Almost instinctively Izarian went around the Trade District stocking up on some essential items. Whetstones and weight stones for the weapons and extra hides and threads for the lighter armours and clothes. She found herself draining almost everything she had left for money, but where she was going, she decided she wouldn't need it. Her last stop took her to the bank to deposit money and other valuable items. She remembered the satchel of jewelry at home and nearly cursed out loud for her thoughtlessness. However, she felt as if she was running out of time. Izarian decided the best course of action was to contact Emeilla and have her send a pet of hers to guard the place. She was the main reason Izarian was in the predicament she currently found herself in anyway. Izarian penned a quick letter to Emeilla and dropped it into the mailbox on her way out of the bank. With those taken care of, Izarian finally felt as if she could return home and gear up quick enough to make it back in a timely manner. She hastily made her way across the bridge to Old Town.

Within a few short minutes she was walking into the main room of her house only to find someone else had been there before her. Laying against the table were several armaments Izarian had never seen before. It took her a moment to tear her eyes away to find the letter not too far away. Bounding over to the table, Izarian scooped up the letter and tore it open.

"Hey Iz, if you've found this it means you finally got your tail back home. No doubt you have some questions for us, but unfortunately the Broken Isles call and the three of us need to return to the front. But don't go thinking we've forgotten you or about this venture we thrust upon you. I had to convince Gulmar and Balthier to help out, but these are from us."

Izarian looked over to the assortment next to her. There were only three of them, all different, and each she was sure had a purpose. But before examining them too much more, she continued the letter.

"First one's from Gulmar. That's the big ol' warhammer you see. I know that's not your style anymore, but he couldn't help taking a dig at our fellow Draenei's fondness for crystals. He had it made after Maraad's warhammer in honor of his memory. He only found it fitting to pass it on to you. Don't worry, he made sure to clean off any of the blood and darkness of off it, you being a Paladin even if you've been leaning more my way in terms of faith. But yeah, that's his gift to you, in case you're ever in need."

Izarian picked up the hammer, which was lying behind the other two, and hefted it upon her shoulders. It indeed looked like Maraad's hammer, but Izarian found it was a little lighter and just a tad shorter, no doubt to more fit Gulmar's build. She set it off to the side away from the other gifts and picked up the second one, a longsword. Pulling it out of the sheath, she found it was a slender blade with a red-violet blade. It was lightweight, easily used in one hand but large enough to utilize both. The blade itself was interesting as it was almost crystalline in look, with the outer edges appearing transparent and giving it the color it held. Izarian again started to read the letter. She was more interested in the last piece, but she knew it came from Emeilla and she would hold off until the end to explain the choice. Izarian knew the energetic hunter too well for her to expect anything else.

"The sword's from Balthier, naturally. She was always interested in unique designs, as i'm sure you know. But, she couldn't find a use for the sword, so she gave it to you hoping that it would bring you safety in the upcoming fights since she can't be there to nurse you back to health. So sorry for you, but that's two hand-me-downs for you! Seriously though, those two really are concerned about you. I tell them you're fine, but even we've not spent more than an hour together having a drink in the Legerdemain. When this is all over, we'll have to spend a night catching up together at your place." Izarian shook her head at the letter with a groan. A drunk Emeilla was not always the most fun house guest. Despite this, Izarian found herself skipping ahead of the pointless pleasantries and found where she talked about her gift. Izarian gently laid the sword on the table and picked up a heavy kite-shaped shield. It was made of a dull True Iron and wood Izarian recognized from Draenor, inlaid with a glowing blue gem in the center. It had been a very long time since Izarian had felt the weight of such a large shield in her hands, but strangely she found herself strapping it on easily and testing it. It felt strong enough to bash a skull with, but she found herself slightly out of practice with the weight. Izarian nearly repeated her mistake in the throne room and caught herself on the edge of the table. Pulling the shield off of her arm, she returned to the letter.

"I know you've said you gave up on your goal to protect everyone, especially after losing our friends. But I had this commissioned special from the Ironhorn Tauren on Highmountain. I had some spare wood from visiting the former commander's garrison, and the True Iron wasn't hard to come by. They were intrigued by the metal and agreed to make this. I don't care if you use it or not. It's just supposed to be a reminder of what you once stood for. And a promise made to a friend that you need to keep. Anyway, enough of the deep talk. Archenon poros, and may victory smile upon you. Oh, and as the Orcs say, Lok'Tar Ogar! Love, Em."

Izarian rolled her eyes at Emeilla's farewell, but still couldn't stop a few tears from falling. How dare she bring up those memories! Izarian screamed in her head. She knew as well as Izarian did that those memories were too tender to touch. Not only had she failed, but she had let them down and in the end, it cost them all. It was her constant reminder, and the only reason for her continued actions on the Broken Isles. She would have to have a very stern talk with Emeilla when she was allowed to come back. Not that she was entirely sure when that would be, but regardless she would make sure it was the first thing she did. And what was with the Orc battle cry? Victory or death? Izarian promptly tossed the letter on the table next to the sword. She knew which armor she would need for this adventure, and quickly set to work assembling the pieces. The breastplate was light, foregoing any kind of built in armguards. The legguards were similarly devoid of armor, opting for covering only the thighs. Shortly after, Izarian strapped some guards to her ankles above her hooves. Last to go on were steel plated gloves, open enough in the fingers to allow her to splay them out and grip well, but enough protection to make sure the wrist wasn't sliced off. She looked up to the wall of weapons displayed, knowing that none of them would be coming with her on this mission. She had only looked so she could collect her thoughts before returning to King Anduin. She turned about and walked towards the door. Carefully picking up the arms along the table, she strapped each piece of equipment to her person. It was heavy, but she would manage. Picking her spear from the doorway, she carefully opened the door only to find a large, ghostly wolf with electric charges coursing across its body and a letter in their mouth. Izarian recognized the wolf as Tsume, one of Emeilla's pets. She reached for the letter tentatively, and much to her relief the wolf released it. Izarian opened the letter and scanned it quickly.

"P.S. This is Tsume, as you should already know. He's going to guard your place until you get back. Knowing you, a letter's already on the way, but that's fine. I'll have someone check in on him every few days. Now you don't have to worry about burglars! Anyways, stay safe. Love, Em."

Izarian shook her head and let Tsume in before closing the door behind her. The easy part is over, Iz. Now, the real part. With that lingering thought, Izarian trekked up towards Stormwind Keep.


	4. Chapter 4

It took Izarian a little longer than usual due to the extra weapons, but soon enough she was walking up to the entrance of the keep. It sounded busier than before. Izarian continued in towards the throne room, but was intercepted by footman.

"Ma'am, thank goodness you're here! King Anduin needs you in the courtyard immediately." The soldier said while trying to catch his breath. "If you would please follow me." He hurried ahead of Izarian quickly, making Izarian pick up the pace.

"Did the King tell you what was going on?" Izarian huffed through strained breath. _Starting to wish i left some of this…."_ Izarian thought to herself angrily. Why has those three given her such heavy things? Regardless, she had to shake her thoughts away to catch what the soldier said.

"No ma'am, he wanted to brief you personally. Here we are." The soldier replied, slowing to a halt in an open area with grass and a few trees. In the center stood a pair of Mages holding a portal open. It looked like they were straining with the effort, which made Izarian worry. The King was standing in front of the the portal, pacing softly.

"Izarian, by the Light's grace it's good to see you. The others have already gone through, but the scouts report that the enemy had planned a surprise attack on the only foothold we have. Not only them, but the local Botani have began attacking our forces again as well. We need you out there, Izarian." Anduin's voice was unwavering, reminding Izarian once again of the Light. _He is indeed blessed by the Light._ The thought evaporated as quickly as it came.

"By your will, your Highness." Izarian replied automatically, striding over to the portal.

"Thank you, friend. The portal is in the back of Moira's Bastion, a formerly abandoned stronghold from when we first landed on Draenor. Out forces have been working to restore it to a livable condition without attracting attention. Apparently, we weren't able to do that. Good luck, Starcaller. May the Light guide your path." Anduin stepped out of the way and motioned to Izarian to walk through. She did so without hesitation, preparing to engage the enemy.

As soon as she felt the ground beneath her hooves return, she was running. The extra equipment were thrown to the side without a second thought, her spear light and ready as she ran. The sounds of battle were growing closer, and Izarian shivered with anticipation. She didn't revel in the bloodshed, however. The truth was she was scared to death, but she had been in too many battles for it to show. By the time she reached the edge of battle, she looked like she was in total control. Izarian spotted a few soldiers entangled in battle, some with Stormwind's colors, and some with what she assumed were the deserters. They were wearing nearly the same uniform, however, the lion that represented house Wrynn was replaced with a howling wolf. Shaking her head, Izarian pulled herself back into the battle mindset. The Botani slaves were along the outskirts of the compound, attacking both combatant's troops, but more the deserter's than Stormwind's. Another quick scan showed her a few of her crew. Noreen was up along the walls of the compound with a sniper rifle taking shots at the infested enemies, while Daven and Ashlan taking on multiple enemies at once. The instinct to dive right in hit her like a wave, but she held it off for a moment as Kymba materialized out of thin air.

"Hello Commander, glad to see you joined the fight. What are your orders? We've been operating on a strict kill-on-sight command, so you know." Kymba said with possibly a little too much glee in her voice.

Izarian wasn't sure how to proceed, being that she hasn't held command to this degree before. Her head told her to follow her gut instinct, though, and Izarian quickly made up her mind. "Tell everyone that capture of the traitors is first and foremost, and only kill if necessary. The infested are kill-on-sight as before."

Kymba shrugged and vanished once again. Izarian was sure she would tell the troops, but now there were a few traitors running at her, breaking off from the main fight. Izarian smiled sadly and spun her spear a few times. She hadn't gotten rusty, but she needed to feel the flow once again. The enemies were not perturbed, however, and continued their rush. When they finally got in range, Izarian let loose her attack. Pivoting on one hoof, she rotated around the first attacker, a Human man with a large axe, and smashed the flat of the spearhead against his back. The man fell to the ground and without losing her momentum Izarian jerked the butt of her spear into the other attacker's jaw, smashing their mouth closed and dazing them. The second man, a Night Elf, held his head and fell backwards. The Human got to his feet in the meantime and charged at Izarian again. This time Izarian let the attack come at her, but at the last minute she ducked to the side of the swing. Using the momentum from her attacker and using the haft of the spear, she forced the weapon into the ground, embedding it in the rock. Izarian too the opportunity to throw a quick jab at the man's ribs with her fist. As he reached for his ribs, Izarian capitalized and swept the legs out from under him and planted the tip of her spear next to the man's throat.

"If you yield, I'll spare you. If not, this spear will center itself right in your chest." The threat was genuine, much to Izarian's shock. She didn't think she'd be so ruthless out here. The moment of doubt almost cost her life, however, as she felt the bite of a blade slide across her side. At the same time, Izarian heard a shot come from above. Looking around, she found that Night Elf she thought was unconscious was writhing on the ground holding his leg. She looked up and saw Noreen giving her a small salute before returning to the fight. Nodding back, Izarian shouted out. "I need a healer over here!" No sooner had she said it than she found Songla next to her, muttering the Light's words. The warmth of the Light flowed into her wound and healed it up in a matter of moments. Izarian looked up at Songla and thanked her. "I appreciate it, Songla. I'm glad to have you on the team."

"The pleasure is mine, Starcaller." The priest bowed quickly, but spun around as some of the infested came up. Izarian used the butt of the spear to knock out the human at her feet and then spun the spear around to regain her stance. The infested got within lunging range and Izarian took the chance to take the initiative. She jumped forward and planted the spearhead directly into the chest of one of three infested. Before Izarian could blink, however, the other one was brought down by Songla's spell, aided by the Light. The last one attempted to collapse on the pair while they were occupied, but was stopped in its tracks by two small blades. Kymba had returned and skewered the enemy along her blades.

"Both enemy combatants are retreating, commander. Shall we pursue?" Kymba declared in a cheery voice, seemingly wanting to do the honors herself. However, Izarian couldn't allow her group to split so quickly.

"No, we need to regroup." Izarian motioned to the pair on the ground. "Besides, we have some prisoners. We need to get the information from them as quickly as possible."

Kymba nodded again, seemingly unaffected by the order, and disappeared. Izarian strode out to find that the enemy was indeed in full retreat. She relaxed her grip on her spear slightly and spun around. "Songla, could you tend to the wounded?"

Songla paused a moment to think before replying. "It would be possible, yes, but the Light grants me the best healing in the midsts of battle." She was stoic and calm.

"Very well. Then would you gather everyone from the meeting for me? I'd very much like to talk about our situation." Izarian sighed as she spoke, feeling tired though she hadn't fought much. _I have to get back into the swing of things._ Izarian thought to herself as her Pandaren companion left. She walked farther out from the compound to survey the area. It was most definitely Gorgrond, to Izarian's dismay. She had tried her best to stay away from the area, even back before the Orcs attacked in the main timeline. _Of all places, why Gorgrond?_ She sighed, knowing that it wouldn't get better just standing outside and wondering what could go wrong. She turned around and walked into the compound without a second thought. She was greeted by a scout wearing Stormwind's tabard.

"By your order, ma'am, the people you requested are awaiting your company. If you would please follow me." The scout turned out to be a young woman, Human naturally. With a nod of Izarian's head, she briskly led Izarian to the back of the compound, back where the portal was located. She hadn't realized it when she first came through, but there were several tents along the back and a couple long tables set up across from them. At one of the tables sat her group, the ones from King Anduin's meeting back in Stormwind. She gave a half-hearted wave at the assembled party and a quick motion for the scout to leave as she walked towards the group.

"Thank you all for showing up so quickly." Izarian said unenthusiastically, wishing she had a chance to rest before the battle. "As you all are my main allies here, I wanted everyone to be caught up with each other." She looked around at the assembled faces, each one looking expectantly at Izarian. Her expression dropped into a frown. "I have absolutely no idea how to lead you guys."

Several of the group snickered, with Noreen openly laughing heartily. Daven was the first to speak over those that couldn't hold it in. "Givin' respect here, but I think we ALL knew you weren't cut to lead straight out." Daven growled roughly, still in his Worgen form. "We didn't follow you just cuz you give orders."

Noreen, between giggles, spoke up as well. "'Sides, we ain't gonna let it be a lead-follow relationship. We're 'ere to help, not do yer bidding." She took a large drink from the mug in front of her.

"Just let us know what you're thinking." Ashlan, suppressing her laughter well, piped up. "We're here to help, after all. Gotta work together and all."

"Enough of this, for now." Nordaerin mused. "We should all rest up. Knowing our opponents, we will be set upon soon enough." The others all grunted and nodded in agreement. Eventually, the dull silence of eating overtook them. One by one, the group left for the set of tents in the back, leaving the big one for Izarian. With a yawn, Izarian stood and walked over to the large tent. Opening the flap, she found that her things were already brought inside, set up neatly to the side across from the bed. Without a single thought, Izarian collapsed into bed, not even bothering to remove her armor and tossing her spear to the side. Within seconds Izarian was asleep.


End file.
